It shouldn't come as a surprise to see a player who displayed plenty of talent during the early days of training camp sitting on his suitcase outside the Argonauts' Mississauga practice facilities waiting for a cab to take him to the airport.

Ability alone won't earn him a spot on the roster under new head coach Rich Stubler.

He has to fit into the family.

"You have a true set of veterans who are your starters," explained Stubler, the team's long-time defensive guru, who is now the field boss following Mike Clemons' move into the club's front office as CEO. "I try to find people who fit in with those veterans. That's the biggest piece of the puzzle."

Stubler welcomed the new pieces last Wednesday when they arrived for a three-day rookie camp before the veterans sauntered in yesterday. After one practice today, gruelling two-a-days begin tomorrow.

"There can be a lot of guys with great talent, who don't fit in," Stubler continued. "They're not going to be here. That becomes clear in the first three or four days."

Stubler points to the New England Patriots, the NFL's most successful team in recent years, as a franchise that observes a similar philosophy.

"The basis of their success is fitting in. It's not raw talent. Most of the teams that go on raw talent are 6-10 down there. It's the same thing up here. If you keep turning people over, continuously looking for greener pastures, you generally don't play in the playoffs. If you can get a good group of kids who have both good core values and can live together as a family and improve as a group you can succeed.

"Football is a team sport; 12 people have to function as one. If it's boxing you want the best guy: Muhammad Ali."

Stubler doesn't think he'll have to find too many new pieces to fit into the Argos' 2008 puzzle.

Offensively, the quarterback position has been solidified with the acquisition of Kerry Joseph, the CFL's most outstanding player in 2007. The Saskatchewan Roughriders dealt him to Toronto when they decided they couldn't meet his salary demands.

Michael Bishop, who emerged from last year's camp as the starter, knows he's in a difficult position, but has vowed not to relinquish the No.1 job without a tough battle.

Stubler feels a badly needed running game could be rectified by with the addition of Tyler Ebell from Edmonton and the emergence of Canadian Andre Durie. He also doesn't dismiss the notion that electrifying punt and kickoff returner Dominique Dorsey can be a starting running back.

A lack of consistency among the import receivers hurt the passing game last year. Stubler is confident a healthy Patrick Johnson and the off-season recruitment of former NFL first-round pick David Boston and two-time Super Bowl winner Bethel Johnson will alleviate those problems. Boston brings size while Johnson will provide the deep threat the Argos have been lacking.

Eleven-year veteran Noel Prefontaine, in a surprise move, was traded Friday to the Edmonton Eskimos as the Argos went back in their history and re-signed Mike Vanderjagt to handle the kicking duties.

Stubler said he sees an offence that will score more points and rely less on the defence to bail them out.

The defensive side, which Stubler has turned over to Kavis Reed, appears to have only one open spot for a starter. That's the shortside cornerback position that was occupied by all-star Jordan Younger, who was dealt to Edmonton for Ebell.

Khalil Carter, who began last year at a halfback spot but gave way to Chuck Winters, will get first crack at filling the vacancy.

Stubler has the luxury of starting four Canadians on defence: nose tackle Adriano Belli, end Riall Johnson and linebackers Mike O'Shea and Kevin Eiben. Along with six homebrews he can start on offence, Stubler can field 10 Canadians, three more than the minimum required under CFL rules.

All that homebrew talent allows the Argos to use imports in backup positions as they develop into future starters. That's primarily what Stubler will be looking for among the newcomers. But don't ask him to name any of the recruits.

"I'm famous for not learning your name until you make our football team," Stubler said with a smile.

And become part of the family.

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